BUFFALO – Goalie James Reimer is back with the Sabres after a five-week stint playing for the Anaheim Ducks.
The Sabres on Wednesday reclaimed Reimer on waivers from the Ducks, who took the veteran Oct. 7 after Buffalo put him on the wire.
Anaheim goalie John Gibson’s recent return from an appendectomy made Reimer, 36, expendable. Reimer played two games for the Ducks, compiling a 0-2-0 mark with a 4.50 goals-against average and an .864 save percentage.
Reimer’s arrival gives the Sabres some much-needed depth behind goalies Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who’s nursing a minor injury, and Devon Levi.
If the Sabres want to send Levi to the Rochester Americans for extra work – he has started just four games this season – they have an established backup behind Luukkonen.
Felix Sandstrom, the only other goalie in the organization with an NHL contract prior to Reimer’s arrival, suffered an upper-body injury Friday playing for the Amerks.
Carrying three goalies is nothing new for the Sabres. Last year, Eric Comrie often served as the third netminder. After Levi arrived late in 2022-23, they had four goalies.
Reimer played 25 games with the Detroit Red Wings last season as part of a three-goalie rotation with Alex Lyon and Ville Husso. He signed a one-year, one-way contract worth $1 million with the Sabres as a free agent.
He accompanied the team to Europe for its season-opening trip before being waived.
He has compiled a 215-179-63 record with a 2.89 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage in 503 NHL games over 15 seasons.
He registered an 11-8-2 mark with a 3.11 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage last season. He has also played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes and San Jose Sharks.
The Sabres host the St. Louis Blues tonight at KeyBank Center.